WCT Recap: Epping’s new squad downs Jacobs in final of Shorty Jenkins

John Epping's new squad won their first event as a foursome while Kerri Einarson and her Winnipeg crew won their second straight event this weekend on the World Curling Tour.

Shorty Jenkins Classic (Cornwall, Ontario)

Men’s Purse: $59,000
Women’s Purse: $34, 500

It didn’t take too long for John Epping and his new Ontario rink to find their chemistry.

Epping’s squad picked up their first victory as a foursome this weekend in Cornwall by topping Sault Ste. Marie’s Team Brad Jacobs in the final of the Shorty Jenkins Classic.

Epping and third Mathew Camm were one half of the Ontario champions last year, finishing a solid third in their first Brier appearance.

This summer Epping added the famous front-end duo of lead Craig Savill and second Brent Laing who won two Canadian and world titles playing for curling legend Glenn Howard from 2004 to 2014.

After a tough semi-final loss in their season opener at the Stu Sells Oakville Tankard last week, Toronto’s Team Epping went a perfect 8-0 in Cornwall. They got to that mark by beating the past two Olympic champs. In the quarters, Epping downed USA’s Team John Shuster, the surprise winners of the most recent Olympics, 4-3, and the 2014 gold medalists Team Jacobs in the final, 5-2.

Winnipeg’s Jason Gunnlaugson has former Team McEwen lead Denni Neufeld playing second this season. They went 4-1 in the round robin before falling to Team Howard in the semis, 9-0. Team Howard lost to Team Jacobs in the semis, 5-3, but posted a solid overall record of 5-2.

Scotland’s Ross Paterson had a solid round robin record of 4-1 and then lost Epping in the semis.

On the women’s side, 2017 world junior champ Isabella Wrana impressed all weekend, capping it off with a 5-4 extra end victory over Ontario’s Hollie Duncan in the final.

Winnipeg's Darcy Robertson outlasted a tough field in Saskatoon to capture the Colonial Square Ladies Classic on Monday.

The foursome of skip Robertson, third Karen Klein, second Vanessa Foster and lead Theresa Cannon went 8-0 over the four-day event, including impressive wins over Allison Flaxey in the round robin, Ashley Howard in the semis and a 5-2 victory over Japan's Sayaka Yoshimura in the championship tilt.

There were plenty of big names at this early season event, most notably 2018 world champion Jennifer Jones who went 4-1 in the round robin before falling to Team Howard in the quarters. Team Jones added Jocelyn Peterman to play second this season after veteran curler Jill Officer announced she was taking a break from the sport.